Wet cake creeling process



May 30, 1950 E. DAVIS, JR

WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS 1 w R m mm. mm m a a, M t I w M h s J I- my B1 u 9 l 5 l i r A MW m :|/'|||\|\|\\.\\.0

ATTORNEY y 1950 E. L. DAVIS, JR 2,509,487

WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS Filed April 5, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORgzggenellasliefiavzlgh ATTORNEY y 1950 E. L. DAVIS, JR 2,509,487

WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TORE'zyeneLcsZicDauLgJR, I By ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE WET CAKE CREELING PROCESS Eugene Leslie Davis, Jr.,Ashland, Va., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmmpton, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application April 5, 1947, SerialNo. 739,529

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-131) This invention relates to slashing of yarns ofregenerated cellulose and more particularly to the provision of aprocess and apparatus for run-' ning regenerated cellulose yarnsdirectly from wet spin cakes to the slasher.

Heretofore, in the general practice of the rayon industry, driedregenerated cellulose yarns have been run on to beams from single endpackages by placing the packages, such as spools, bobbins, cones orcakes on a creel and drawing the yarn off from the outside of thepackage, the innermost yarn being removed last. Drying of the yarnpackages prior to slashing or warp processing generally results in yarnnon-uniformities which are not removed by reswelling the yarn andredrying. It is desirable, therefore, to slash or warp process the yarnin its initial wetstate to avoid troublesomeyarn non-uniformities and toeliminate one drying step. Serious difliculties, however, areencountered in attempting to creel wet, heavy denier yarn. Due to theweight of the yarn and the high speeds commonly used, a very largeballoon forms and a complicated baiile system is required for controlpurposes. Even with a complete baille system, wide spacing of packageson the creel is essential and considerable tension variation in the yarnoccurs. The innermost yarn of the package is frequently tan- Theseobjects are accomplished by the followgled and the tendency of thefilaments to cling to the package cores results in frequent breakage andfailure of the yarn to transfer automatically to a new package. Thesolution of such diificulties and the provision of a satisfactory methodand apparatus for creeling and slashing yarn directly from wet bucketcakes rather than from cones and the like are highly desirable sincethere would be gained advantages such as the e1imina- ,tion of dryingand coming steps, improvement in the yarn uniformity and reduction ofbreakage,

the number of yarn knots and production costs.

This invention has as an object the' provision of a means for supportinga wet cake on a creel. A further object is the automatic transfer ofyarn creeling from one wet cake to'another in a continuous mannerwithout excessive breakage of the filaments. A still further object isthe provision of apparatus which provides support for the last fewrevolutions of yarn comprising the outside of the cake remaining whenthe center portion has been removed. A still further object is theprovision of equipment, the use of which controls balloon formation sothat the yarn on the inside of the cake is not loosened by the balloon,thereby diminishing entanglement.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

from the inside of the cake in a bucket or container having a tapersimilar to that of the yarn cake and which is lined with a materialhaving l a resilient pile. The container then has the shape of aninverted frustum derived from a cone. The

yarn cake fits snugly into the bucket which is fitted with a clampdevice so thata slightsteady pressure is exerted on the entire outerarea of the cake during unwinding. The lining is composed of a materialresistant to moisture and other liquids and vapors associated with theyarn.

It, then, at all times presents a large number of fingers which preventthe collapsing of the last few loops ofthe yarns. The pile supports theyarn cake, the support being enhanced by the steady pressure exerted bythe clamp device.

One half of the bucket is hingedly connected to the other, the latterbeing referred to as the stationary shell. The hinged half can belowered out of the way when charging the bucket. Thus, the bucket isdesigned so that the cake may be conveniently inserted or removed. Thehinge strap on the hinged half of the bucket has an elliptical pivothole which, with the spring clip, makesthe'bucket salt-adjusting toconform to variations in cake diameter. The lid has a circular openingwhich serves to guide the yarn and to protect the shoulders of the cakefrom the balloon; lrovision is made for a radial slot extending from.the circular opening in the bucket lid to permit the tying 0f theoutside tall or yarn end of the cake being unwound to the inside tail ofthe cake in the adjacent bucket. The transfer so formed is held in placeby a transfer device and by a. clip. When the last of the yarn in thecake being unwound is pulled out, the transfer slips out from under theclip and from the transfer device and the yarn in the adjacent bucketbegins to unwind. The process and equipment can be, thus, operated in acontinuous manner.

This invention will be more clearly understood by reference to theattached figures in which like numbers refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bucket showing it in closed (dottedlines) and open (solid lines) positions as provided for by itsconstruction,

Figure 21s a more detailed sectional on the line H of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating the lid construction,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the buckets as set on the creel showing thestring-up in detail,

view taken Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 shows side, plan and end elevations of the transfer device.

In Figure 1, the bucket I can be composed of any material which willresist moisture, carbon disulfide, slightly acidic, aqueous mixtures andthe like. Thus, it can be constructed of plastic materials, wood ormetal. Generally, the bucket and its various parts, including screws andrivets, are constructed of a metal such as stainless steel, nickel late,aluminum or brass. All edges and corners are rounded so that snags areavoided. As is shown, the bucket is tapered following the outline of thebucket cake 2. The dimensions of the bucket depend on the cake size and,accordingly, are not fixed. The size of the bucket is critical and caremust be taken to construct a bucket in which the cake fits snugly but isnot excessively gripped by pressure exerted by the clamp device or bythe pile.

One half of the bucket is pivotally connected to the other half by hinge3 so that the hinged half may be lowered as shown in Figure 1 tofacilitate insertion of the cake. Other construction is possible, butthis hinged construction is preferred because it permits ready insertionof the cake so that it fits snugly and because uniform, steady pressuremay be exerted against the cake by means of a clamp or a spring clip 4and thefioating action of the hinged half of the bucket as permitted bythe elliptical hole 22 in the hinge strap. The strap, clamp or clip 4 isattached by means of rivets or screws to the lid 5 which is lowered fromits open position after the cake has been inserted and the hinged halfof the bucket has been raised. The positions of the lid are shown inFigure 1. The clamp 4 serves also as a locking device, holding thebucket and lid in closed position. The clamp is so designed as to applypressure to the center of the hinged half of the bucket so that pressureof the bucket is exerted uniformly over the cake. Either half of thebucket may be hinged so that buckets opening to the right and bucketsopening to the left may be employed. Further, the stationary shell andmovable shell need not necessarily be of the same width. It is possible,for example,

to construct the stationary shell so that its width approximates thewidth of the cake. Such construction allows for greater support of thecake during loading and hence less damage to the cake.

The stationary shell of the bucket is provided with two arms or lugs 6by which means the bucket may be anchored to the creel. The bucket maybe locked into any convenient position on the frame I by any convenientmeans, as for example, by a collar having a screw fastening 8, thisbeing shown in Figures 4 and 5. These arms, as are all the hinges andother parts, are attached to the bucket I by means of screws or rivets9.

Each shell of the bucket is lined with a pile fabric II) which retainsits resilience and stiffness under operating conditions. This materialmay be selected from carpet materials, wire card cloth, brush bristlesand the like. Any material having a fuzzy surface or pile may be used.The pile should be reasonably stiff and resistant to moisture or otherchemicals carried in the cake and preferably should be composed ofindividual fibers rather than thread sections since greater support ofthe last remaining layers of yarn is obtained, the stifl fibers servingas flexible fingers that grip and hold threads of the cake among them.

The bucket lid 5 is shown in Figure 3. n has a circular opening H whichserves as a guide tangling and breaking of filaments. The lid may beconstructed so that it completely covers the bucket except for thecentral opening. Generally, this is not necessary since the openingprovided is so designed to protect the cake adequately. It is preferredto leave openings 12 at the sides, thereby permitting the operator toinspect the cake readily. The lid is hingedly connected to the bucket atpoint l3 using a, stainless steel strap. A radial slot I4, about inchwide, depending upon the cake size and other dimensions, extends fromthe circular opening outward almost to the edge of the lid. This servesas a transfer medium. The outside tail of the yarn IS in the cake beingunwound is tied to the inside tail of the yarn in the adjacent bucket atany point l6, such as is shown in Figure 4. At the end of the transferslot 14 is a transfer device I! which is a part of the lid and aroundwhich the transfer tail runs. The transfer device supports the transfertail so that it does not interfere with the balloon of the running yarn.

This transfer device may be in the form of a horn or hook, or it may be,as is shown in the figures, in the form of a smooth surfaced rod whichis flattened at both ends and riveted to the lid at such ends, thecenter portion being raised from the lid surface. In any of these, theyarn tall from the outside of the cake comes out of the radial slot 14,passes the long way around the transfer device l1 and then goes to thetail clip l8. It is preferred to use the looped rod as the transferdevice since the riveted ends are at a remote point and there are nocorners or bends in which the yarn might be snagged as there are in thehook or horn type of device. This string-up detail is shown in Figure 4.The construction of the transfer device may be seen in Figure 3 and inmore detail in Figure 6. A tall clip I8 is located on the side of thebucket as shown in Figure 4 and this is used to keep the transfers onthe transfer device after the tails are tied. The yarn slips under theclip where it is held until the cake being unwound runs out. At thattime, the yarn is pulled out from under the clip, it leaves the transferdevice and the yarn in the adjacent cake begins to unwind.

The design of the lid of this invention permits the rapid unwinding ofthe yarn without formation of loops. If the slot or hole through whichthe yarn passes on its way out is too narrow, the yarn is confined to arelatively small space. Twist is added in the unwinding and this, alongwith the confining of the yarn, leads to the formation of loops. Using alid with a larger opening of the right dimension and equipped with theradial slot to accommodate the transfer tail, the yarn has more space inwhich to move and the added twist is spent as the yarn runs out in theform of coils. Loop formation is thus practically eliminated. Too largean opening results in inadequate protection of the cake from theballoon. Accordingly, the lid is constructed to fit the needs of the inmind.

In the center of the bucket, a rod I .may be attached. This rod has adiameter of about 1; of an inch and extends beyond the lid of the closedbucket for a distance of about 6 inches. This rod is inserted so that itis in the center of the cake. Its function is to help in preventingformation of loops and knots. The yarn l slides on the rod out of thebucket and through the opening in the lid as depicted in Figure 4. Thisrod may or may not be needed. For many operations, it has been foundthat balloon formation is not serious when using the apparatus of thisinvention. Consequently, construction is such that the rod can bereadily removed, as by unscrewing. When the rod is used, it is normallythrust in through the base of the bucket after the cake has been put inplace and the chuck has been closed.

The yarn l 5 runs out of the bucket, on the rod I9 if the rod is beingused, then through two slotted plates 20, one of which is generallydirectly behind the other and about 6 inches from it. The hole in theplate nearest the cake should be approximately 6 inches long by 2 incheshigh with rounded ends while the hole in the other plate should be about4 inches long by 1 inches high. These holes represent sections through aflattened funnel. Other dimensions may be used. Running the yarn throughthese plates results in a shaking of the yarn and a consequent removalof any tangles remaining in it. These slotted plates serve asanti-balloon eyelets and should be located as required for best results,depending on the speed and the size of the yarn. Generally, they areplaced about 2 inches in front of each pair of working buckets, as isshown in Figure 5. They may be conveniently held in place by anyconventional type of bracket. From the plates Ill the filaments pass toa stop motion device 2| any of the well known devices designed to stopoperation in the event of breakage or entanglement of the yarn. Fromsuch device, the yarn passes to any appropriate wind-up. Normally, aplurality of yarn ends is being simultaneously processed and these arepassed directly to the slasher and from there to the beam.

It is also possible and frequently desirable in this creeling system,prior to passing the yarn ends to the slasher, to subject them toadditional processing or conditioning. For example, the yarn, while itis still in the gel and swollen state, may be subjected to apredetermined tension that is maintained at a constant value. The yarnis then dried under conditions of constant length and wound up on asuitable take-up device, either with or without simultaneous twisting ofthe yarn. Further, the amount of elongation in this uniform yarn can bechanged by additionally" stretching or shrinking it a constant amount,while maintaining the same relative uniformity.

The bucket may be used in any position. It has been found that when thebuckets are used in a vertical position, a creel considerably higherthan the usual creel is required. Upper positions on a creel of suchheight are difficult to charge and, accordingly, it is preferred to useoperation with these points the bucket in a horizontal position. Whenthe buckets are used in the horizontal position, it is frequentlyadvantageous to elevate or tilt them. Such elevation prevents loops ofthread from falling forward from the horizontal position.

, Inclination of the center line at an angle of 10 a row may be inclinedat an angle of 20". The

which may be i greater angle of inclination of the lower row makes forreadier stripping of the interior of the cakes in the lower row.However, better overall results are obtained when all the buckets areplaced at a 10 inclination. This arrangement at the same angle ofinclination, namely 10, has the further advantage that it permits, themounting of the bucket within the space provided for by the creels nowin use. A plurality of buckets may be used simultaneously and may bearranged on the creel in any convenient way. By using a large number ofbuckets, this continuous process may be applied commercailly to handle alarge poundage of yarn.

The yarn to be creeled is generally high denier yarn such as 1,650or2,200 denier yarn. It may be washed and purified, or it may be merelyWashed and undesulfured. Any of the well known washing treatments andaging treatments may be employed. The moisture content of the yarn inthe cakes generally does not need to be critically adjusted. However, ifthe yarn becomes too dry on the inside or on the outside of the cake,satisfactory running on the creel is not obtained and excessive breakageoccurs. The lag time accordingly is normally not allowed to run inexcess of forty-eight hours. Longer lags in properly conditionedatmosphere are possible by storing the cakes in high humidityatmospheres.

Care is taken in handling cakes so that the yarn is not loosened on theends of the cake or on the outside or inside shoulders of the cake. Theloosening of yarn on the outside causes failure to transfer andloosening of turns on the inside causes sloughs. Prior to placing thecake in the bucket, the protective sleeves, if used in wrapping thecakes, must be removed. These are removed carefully and without harm tothe cake by an experienced operator. All loose yarn is stripped from theinside of the cake. .After placing the cake in the bucket, both yarnends are passed through the lid. This is best done by drawing the yarnout of the cake with a sideward pull. If the yarn is drawn out directlyupward, several winds of yarn are loosened. These loose winds becometangled and looped. By drawing the yarn off sideways, the diiliculty isavoided. After the bucket is closed, the necessary transfer ties aremade at point l6. Faulty cakes such as those which have been dropped orbruised in any way are eliminated and dried for coning.

The speeds at which the yarn is drawn off may vary. Speeds as great as200 yards per minute may be used.

. The following examples are given to illustrate the efliciency of theoperation and are in no way to be taken as limitative.

A run involving the creeling of 600 wet, gel cakes was completed withthe occurrence of only two bad transfers, twenty-two sloughs andtwenty-seven breaks, including slasher and wa'rper breaks. Thiscorresponded to sixteen breaks: per beam. In another similar run of 98cakes, there were no bad transfers, no sloughs and no breaks. In stillanother creeling, wet, gel cakes were unwound and run directly to theslasher with only one bad transfer, four sloughs and twenty breaks perbeam, including slasher and warper breaks. Although the treatment of thecakes varied for each of the above runs, satisfactory creeling wasobtained. This illustrates the adaptability of the apparatus of thisinvention. For a large number of cakes over a period of time, breaksamounted to an average of about ten breaks per beam of 1,000 pounds.Transfer efficiency using the apparatus of this invention is about 98%.Further, waste is low, averaging about 1.22%. Accordingly, the apparatusof this invention provides for an efficient use of transfer means bywhich wet, undesulfured or wet, purified large bucket spin cakes of highdenier tire cord yarn or similar yarn can be successfully run directlyfrom creel to slasher without excessive breakage and with high slasherefficiency. The use of the apparatus of this invention eliminates thedrying and coning steps and provides an advantageous means for reducingproduction costs. Further, yarn of improved quality is produced sincenon-uniformities resulting from drying yarn in package form are avoidedand since extra yarn wear and tear such as occurs, for example, inconing is materially reduced.

Any departure from the above description which conforms to the presentinvention is intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for unwinding yarn from a spin cake which comprises acontainer having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected toeach other, theinterior of said shells being lined with a pile material;a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarn out of thesaid container and for controlling loop and slough formation; and coverlocking means for locking the said container in a closed position andfor exerting a steady pressure on the said spin cake.

2. Apparatus for unwinding yarn from a spin cake which comprises acontainer having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected toeach other, the interior of said shells being lined with a. pilematerial; a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarnout of the said container and for controlling loop and slough formationand providing means for connecting the yarn tail of the said spin caketo the yarn tail of a second spin cake located in an adjacent container,forming thereby a transfer; a transfer device and clip providing meansfor holding the said transfer in place until the said second cake is tobe unwound; and cover locking device providing means for locking thesaid container in a closed position and for exerting a steady pressureon, the said spin cake.

3. Apparatus for unwinding yarn from a spin cake which comprises acontainer having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected toeach other, the interior of said shells being lined with a pilematerial; a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarnout of the said container and for controlling loop and slough formationand providing means for connecting the yarn tail of the said spin caketo the yarn tail of a second spin cake located in an adjacent container,forming thereby a transfer; a transfer device and clip providing meansfor holding the transfer in place until the said second cake is to be,unwound; a cover locking device providing means for locking the saidcontainer in a closed position and for exerting a steady pressure on thesaid spin cake; and means for mounting the said container on a frame.

4. Apparatus for unwindin yarn from a spin cake which comprises acontainer having a stationary and a movable shell hingedly connected toeach other, the interior of said shells being lined with a pilematerial; a cover structure providing means for guiding the said yarnout of the said container and for controlling loop and slough formationand providing means for connecting the yarn tail of the said spin caketo the yarn tail of a second spin cake located in an adjacent container,forming thereby a transfer; a transfer device and clip providing meansfor holding the said transfer in place until the said second cake isto'be unwound; a coverlocking device providing means for locking thesaid container in a closed position and for exerting a steady pressureon the said spin cakes; a center rod extending out from the bucket uponwhich the said yarn travels during unwinding and means for mounting thesaid container on a frame.

EUGENE LESLIE DAVIS, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 290,658 Appleby Dec. 25, 1883441,454 Vileyn Nov. 25, 1890 750,574 Bicket Jan. 26, 1904 1,168,393 HaasJan. 18, 1916 1,889,011 Baumhuter Nov. 29, 1932 1,976,037 Rawlings Oct.9, 1934 1,997,426 Morse et a1. Apr. 9, 1935 2,158,262 Vanden Bergh May16, 1939 2,432,916 Markwood Dec. 16, 1947

